A recent study sheds light on important factors that may contribute to understanding the phenomenon of longevity, by analyzing genetic data and comparing it to human genomes dating back to prehistoric times.
A new secret to longevity and living to 100 years old
Researchers from the University of Bologna analyzed the genetic makeup of more than 1,000 people in Italy, including 333 centenarians, and compared their findings with ancient human genomes from prehistoric groups, including Bronze Age herders and Neolithic farmers in the Middle East.
The results showed that centenarians tended to have a higher proportion of genes associated with hunter-gatherers who lived in Western Europe during the Mesolithic period, groups that inhabited the continent after the Ice Age between 9,000 and 14,000 years ago, and were known for their strong physique, dark skin, and light eyes.
These ancient groups relied on hunting and gathering various plant and animal resources, such as roots, nuts, and deer, for their livelihood in a warmer environment—a lifestyle that researchers believe left a genetic imprint that still affects longevity today.
The research team explained that genetic analysis revealed, for the first time, a clear link between the genetic origins of hunting and gathering and longevity, noting that Italian centenarians carry a greater number of genetic mutations associated with these origins, while other genetic components did not show the same effect.
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The researchers stressed that understanding how this genetic legacy affects lifespan requires further studies, as the precise biological mechanisms remain unclear.
Hunting and gathering represent the oldest forms of human survival, with evidence suggesting that humans relied on them for approximately two million years. Before this lifestyle became widespread, early humans subsisted on the remains of predators' kills, in addition to gathering wild plants, insects, and honey.
Hunter-gatherer societies lived in small groups, ranging from extended families to communities of no more than one hundred people, and were highly mobile due to their need for large tracts of land. Despite the widespread shift to agriculture around 12,000 years ago, these practices persisted until relatively recent times, with hunter-gatherers still found in Europe and the Americas as recently as 500 years ago.
Today, very few of these communities remain, and the Hadza tribe in Tanzania is one of the last groups that still live according to this traditional pattern.
Experts agree that genetic factors do not operate in isolation from lifestyle. Studies show that physical activity, social connections, faith, and a sense of purpose are key elements of longevity, and are common features of what are known as "blue zones," where people typically live to 100 and beyond.
